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IS CRINER WORTHY?

I wanted to let you guys know what a fantastic job you did on your webpage all year long. It was very up to date and creative. Since this is a page where fans can voice their opinion I think I will. I have e-mailed once before at the beginning if the season.

I think the time has come where a change in the coaching staff must be made. You people deserve to watch a good football game if you pay for a ticket to murrayfield. Coach Jim Criner looked like a genuis last year after winning the world bowl. My question to him would be what went wrong with this year's team. The major contributors were back on offense as they drafted only players on the defensive side of the ball. We thought that since this was the case we would be as productive offensively as we were last year.

We all were wrong because the offensive point production was pathetic. Of course you realize that I knew all along that anyone coaching previously at Iowa State could not be all that great. When Criner was the head coach at Iowa State nobody attended the home games because they would get blown off the field by everybody it seemed. I know that a lot of it has to do with the talent level but in the world league what are the coaches excuses.

Well, since I have had the opportunity to get the inside track every week, I came to find out that it was always the player's fault and never the people who call the plays. As a big fan It was disgusting to watch over and over every week the inability to score inside the "red zone"(inside the other teams 20 yard line). Hey Jim, I have an idea, get with your offensive coordinator, who by the way has no business at the professional level, and mix up the play calling. Sweep left and sweep right tend to get boring and predictable. Last year they worked and this year speaks for itself. The opposing teams seemed to know on most plays where Scotland was going just by the formation. We had no misdirection plays or counter plays to be effective on the many blitzes our quarterbacks saw every game.

This last game against Scotland the tight end, Rickey Brady, showed how effective he could be if given the opportunity. All in all the coaching staff showed no versatility or ability to adapt to the changing defensive schemes. It looked like almost every other team in the league outplayed us every game reguardless of the outcome. I am not saying that none of the players are at fault because it is a team effort. What I am saying is that when you play and coach football for a living at the professional levels better quality of play is expected. It is unfortunate that all of Scotland did not get the chance to witness another world bowl. I think that if not this year then hopefully the next, Michael Keller or whoever owns this team will wake up and make some major changes. Every week the players would go through three hour practice sessions and what was being accomplished at such in depth practices. Once again, the record speaks for itself. So congratulations are in order to the fans of Scotland for their support. I am sorry that Criner lost twice this season to a London team who we should have blown off the field both times. Once again I appreciate your hard work on the blunt views page and wish the claymore's all the success in the future with a different person doing the play calling.

Sincerely,
Jason Kaaiohelo, kahuna@inetnow.com

Well, Jason, you've certainly raised an interesting idea here. I must admit that sacking Criner wasn't anything I had thought about until your letter arrived.

I don't have much knowledge at all about the game at college level (I'd struggle to find Iowa on a map, let alone tell know about their college team), but what I would like to do is draw some general parallels with football (soccer if you must) here in Scotland.

Scottish football was subject to an awful lot of sackings this year, and in two cases, managers jumped ship after being at a club for a matter of days. I found it did no good for the stability of the teams concerned, and I think the same would apply for the Claymores. With the WLAF being structured the way it is, there's precious little stability anyway between seasons, and sacking a head coach wouldn't do much good. I think it should be a last-resort measure only, although it would obviously be better to do it in the off-season.

I agree that our offensive tactics may have been a little shallow this year, but I don't think it's the fault just of the coaches or just of the players, irrespective of what they might say. It's a two-way thing. It's the same wherever people are working together in some kind of team.

Another point I'd like to raise is that things do change really, really quickly in the WLAF. Last year, rumour had it that Galen Hall was one defeat away from getting his jotters. This year, he looks like he'll win the Bowl and is a stick-on for Coach of the Year. Remember, too, that only the Galaxy have made it to two consecutive World Bowls, such is the uppy-downy nature of our beloved League.

I think it's just the nature of some of the defeats which makes the situation seem worse than it actually is. It does frustrate the hell out of you when you lose a game which is blatantly there for the winning but, at the time of writing, it's not out of the question that we might finish second on points difference.

The usual glut of personnel changes will mean there's a good chance next year's offense won't be as weak, and defense has been our trump card from the off. Our turn to be winners will come round again soon. We've all just got to hang on in there. Alan

THE OFFICAL SEAL OF APPROVAL?

I enjoy your site. Keep up the good work.

Will Wilson
Claymores PR Director

Good to know that the Claymores office know we are here.... I hope Mr Wilson will still be reading us during the 1997 Season review . Oh course Will remember that both Alan and I are available for employment in the Claymores Office... And since Mike Keller has left, We're certain our ArmChair GM skills can translate into the real thing! Ed

ENGAGE GLOAT MODE

Andrew Reeve, Andrew.Reeve@ubs.com
Monarchs

Oh thanks Andrew... but at least we don't live in London... and we've got the proof that we are better.

SHOULD BARCELONA BE IN THE BOWL?

Scott Jones, jsj2095@newnorth.net

It's not a satifactory set-up, that's for sure, but deciding who's going to host the World Bowl just one week before the game would leave the League with a headache as regards ticketing and publicity. Jim Criner suggested that it might be more suitable to decide the hosts in week 7, which I think is about the best solution until the League goes to 8 teams in two divisions. Alan.